Drink?!?

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Otto123

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Type 1
Hi all i joined the sight a few weeks ago when first diagnosed, ive just got a quick question about drinking and i know its stupid (drugs).
well i'm 31 male and for the last 10 years or so could be described as a bindge drinker at weekends and also a mild user in drugs (coke) anyway since diagnosed i've cut drinking and drugs out 100% but as the world cup is hear and I'm getting drawn out I'm scared i wont be able to stick to my t totalness. so because i know very little about my condition i was wondering what 1 of my old nights of drink and drugs bindges would do to me?

i know its bad anyway, and i dont need the lectures, but IF i went down this road again i would just like to know that all
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I would have thought as a T1 especially, a night of drinking could be dangerous. Apart from the symptoms of a Hypo being similar to intoxication, you may not be able to recognise the symptoms yourself or to safely administer insulin. That's apart from the effect of large quantities of alcohol on your liver and Blood sugar.
 
Hi Jody,

It is possible to drink if you have diabetes, but you probably can't be as carefree about it as you were before diagnosis. Alcohol can give your blood sugar an initial boost, but later it can cause you to drop low. This is because, normally, your liver puts out a steady stream of glucose all the time but when it is processing alcohol it stops doing this. The dangers are that you will drop very low in your sleep with the very real possibility that you may not wake up.

A couple of pints will probably be OK, but you need to build up slowly so that you can learn what you can safely tolerate. As you are on two injections a day, I don't know what the implications are because I have no experience of that, but I would have thought that you need to be extra careful. People on 4 or more injections can opt to take less insulin if they have been drinking or intend to drink to prevent levels falling low, but you can't. If you do decide to have a drink, be very cautious and make sure you have a snack before bed - chips, piece of pizza etc. are good as these will help to keep your levels up as you sleep.

I have no experience of coke, but would suggest you leave that well alone - neither you nor your friends would be able to tell if your levels were dropping low. Whilst diabetes can be a manageable condition, it is potentially life-threatening if you do not take it seriously and give it plenty of respect, so stay safe. A night of intoxication isn't worth it if it wrecks your life and you are now much more vulnerable to that. Learn your limits and learn not to exceed them!
 
As far as alcohol is concerned, there's no reason why you can't have a few drinks out, it's just a case of preparing and monitoring. If you've not had a drink since diagnosis maybe just have one or two, and monitor what it does to your levels, even through to the following morning. Depending on what you're drinking most people find alcohol will raise levels initially, due mainly to carb content mainly. Later the alcohol is likely to decrease your bg as while your liver is dealing with the alcohol it's not giving out the glucose that your basal insulin is there for. How long affects people for can vary widely so a slow approach to drinking again is probably best so you can see how your body copes. Test regularly and consider a snack before bed for example.
 
Hello, I was diagnosed when I was 31 and was on 2 injections - you need to test how alcohol impacts on you and your BS - go out for a few pints and test your BS when your out and eat snacks. Also let your friends know and how to test you and what to do - you'd be surprised how many people think that if you have a hypo you need an injection!!!!

Eat something when you return home and take BS before you go to bed. Also be aware you may get to the point where you feel confident about how much alcohol you can take and then BAM it can change. I'm talking from experience - went out racing for my birthday - so was drinking all day, I was doing very well, until someone bought me a 'fruit salad sambuka shot' which must have been full of sugar and it sent my BS sky high very quickly and affected me really badly and was very scarey for me and friends. I thought it was the hypo's I needed to be vareful of how ever I was wrong.

As for coke i would and have stay well clear as I feel that would impact on your ability to be able to feel signs of hypo and could make your BS go all over the place. Have fun but be careful.
Donna
 
Hi

I find if you have a good meal before drinkin a few Pints works in your favour "well it does in my case" I'm not suggesting your got out n get bladdered but so long as you have had a good meal you should be ok....

As for the (coke) I for 1 wouldn't go there be safe rather than sorry and end up in hospital because of the (coke).. best thing to do is if ya mates wanna use it then you should be man enough to say no and walk away from them...

I will be having several drinks tonight whilst footie is on and I have learn't when to stop lol. Anyway enjoy the game and have a good evening out..
 
Well done on staying tee total since diagnosis. I don't have much to add to the already sound advice above, except to say test, test & test throughout. I would also stay away from hard liqour (shorts, shots , cocktails- that kind of thing and perhaps have a soft diet drink every second drink. The really important thing is to stay in control, which with the excitement around at the mo may be tricky, but essential. You can still enjoy yourself, (more so,I say) and wont be ill like mates the next day!! 😉 Enjoy
 
glodee said:
Well done on staying tee total since diagnosis. I don't have much to add to the already sound advice above, except to say test, test & test throughout. I would also stay away from hard liqour (shorts, shots , cocktails- that kind of thing and perhaps have a soft diet drink every second drink. The really important thing is to stay in control, which with the excitement around at the mo may be tricky, but essential. You can still enjoy yourself, (more so,I say) and wont be ill like mates the next day!! 😉 Enjoy
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Just wanted to say when I drink I tend to drink the 'hard stuff' haha, although I don't drink a great deal. Again, it's just about learning what you can handle, I personally believe and have been always been told (in regard to diabetes) that nothing is to be avoided, you just have to learn how to manage it.

If I've been out for drinks - like I will tonight - I'll do what Northe said previously, which is to have something to eat when I get in. I'll also test whilst drinking to make sure I'm still pretty much in range.

Alcohol can affect you for many hours after, well into the next day, so it's important to keep an eye on things then too 🙂
 
Hey Otto!

Im no way qualified to give medical advice just experience. I love to party no question about it I am alos type one diabetic. Before I wouldnt give a toss about my diabeties and went on mad drinking and drug binges i loved the laugh and the socialable aspect of it. Couple of times though because i hadnt been mointering my diabeties I ended up in hospital with ketones and was very ill with it mostly because of the amount of glucose cut with the speed and coke. I would say dont give up your party lifestyle that is ure choice if you want to drink and take drugs just be responsible. Keep diabetic Id on you and monitor regularly sometimes the symptoms of a hypo can be masked by the effects of the drugs. If you dont feel like eating drink full sugar juice a wee drink here and there to keep your sugars up, alcohol will lower ure sugars so never drink on an empty stomach and always test before you go to sleep as the chances of you slipping into a coma are increased if u havent eaten and have alcohol in your system.

The wises thing to do would be to be entertainment at a party i do this and find i dont drink as much and now drink alot of sugar free red bull and pop the pro plus to keep me going! Getting oot your nut can be great but all diabetic care goes oot the window u just need to ask your self is it worth it? xx
 
I think that Jody (Otto) needs to be much more careful about things at this stage. Whatever the occasion, it's just bad timing, but really when you have no experience of what it's like to drink alcohol when you are diabetic, then you need to take things very slowly at first or you may not get a second chance. I used to be a big drinker before I was diagnosed (100-200 units a week at times) but now it's just not worth the risk. Your inhibitions might go, but so will your awareness, so you need to trial it out for some time before you find a level of risk you are comfortable with.

Sorry if this sounds like being a party-pooper, but it's better to live a long happy life than end a short one comatose or with organ failure :(
 
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I'd second what Northerner has said.

Excessive drinking is extremely problematic at the best of times. With Type 1 diabetes, it is potentially suicidal (literally).

I can't comment on the illegal drugs aspect because I've never taken any and never will.

Andy
 
thanks everyone for all the advice, ive been out all day today 13 14 hours drinking!
its 5am exactly i'm on two injections a day,( only had 1 day today) just tested myself and i was on 6.9
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Otto123 said:
thanks everyone for all the advice, ive been out all day today 13 14 hours drinking!
its 5am exactly i'm on two injections a day,( only had 1 day today) just tested myself and i was on 6.9
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Glad to see you survived! :ek: 😉
 
I don't drink very much, so am probably not the best person to offer advice on booze!

I'm type 2, so the rules are different for me. I do like a couple of glasses of wine wth my dinner on a Saturday, which does me for the week.

As you haven't had a drink for a while, I'd suggest proced with caution and test. As we are all differnt out tolerances to alcohol will vary. It doesn't take a lot to make me drunk, but other family members can drink a whole bottle of wine or several gallons of beer before they are even merry, although it is not something I'd suggest anyone tried!

Enjoy the football, and a drink or two!
 
Hope you're ok today - keep a close eye on your levels for hypos for the next 24hrs, your BG's can drop due to the alcohol even the next day. G
 
I stopped all socialising when I was diagnosed because it was after a heavy session that my best friend told me that she was major worried about my behaviour and reactions when very drunk!

you could always "ask Frank".............. google it
 
I also and still do drink quite a lot on a night out. Like everyone else has already said just take it easy and watch what happens the first few times you go out.

I used to drink lager but but have now switched to drinking vodka and JD with diet coke. This seems to keep my bs down but i now get much more drunk and a bigger dent in my wallet.

The main thing for me is the hangovers, i feel rottern now the next day and have to be really careful and test like every 2 hours until i feel ok again.

The only advice i can give (and im by no way a doctor and understand that everyones different) Eat before bed (great excuse for a kebab or chips) and make sure you get up and eat breakfast (this is by far the hardest part for me because id rather not eat or get out of bed) but it does help.
 
Hi there, well done on going Tee total even if it's only for a couple of weeks it prooves you have some will power!

Everyone here will probably say stay clear of coke, there probably right there and I have no knowledge of how it affects levels or the body in general.

Drink, the other drug on the other hand I do have experience of. I would first say that only do what you know you can get away with. We can all take differing amounts of the stuff, and all have differing opinions, you say you were a binge drinker (or are one having a break!) well don't they say 4 pints is binging?? I've said to others, I think you can enjoy as much as you did before you were diagnosed with just a few safety steps if you want to, BUT you need to work up to it to under stand what your body does, how it is affected by the carbs in beer, and how the alcohol will knock you down later, and how long into the next day your levels are affected. So I would say eat with the first few sessions and test more often to keep an eye on things. And enjoy it, as for the football, well I hope it gets better!! I'll finish by saying again play it safe work up to your old level of drink by testing and eating so you don't get in a situation. Also make sure some of the people you are out with are aware that you are diabetic and know what to do if you do have a hypo.

Cheers

Rossi.
 
It should also be added that glucagon injections don't work when you are drunk, as your liver will not react to it whilst it is processing alcohol. :(
 
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